Five companies awarded tax credits to create 900 jobs

Five companies won state tax credits this morning for plans to bring 900 jobs to the Columbus area, led by IBM's project to add 500 high-tech jobs as part of a project announced last month.

Mark Williams, The Columbus Dispatch

Five companies were awarded state tax credits this morning to support plans to bring 900 jobs to the Columbus area, led by IBM’s project to add 500 high-tech jobs as part of a project announced last month.

IBM’s new Client Center for Advanced Analytics will mean an additional $45.8 million in annual payroll to the area. The company currently has 671 workers at its campus in the Tuttle Crossing area.

The center is meant to capitalize on the big push by companies to capture, analyze and make sense of the billions of bits of data produced every minute by millions of computer users. It also is expected to position Columbus as a national and even international center for big-data analytics.

IBM's presence in Columbus came as a result of its purchase of Sterling Commerce and its four-building campus on Lakehurst Court for $1.4 billion in 2010.

Other projects approved today include:

Internet marking company ECR Internet Services plans to bring 20 additional jobs to its headquarters in Mount Vernon and 150 jobs in the Lewis Center area. Progressive Medical plans to add 125 jobs in Westerville to its 435. The company helps companies manage their workers’ compensation programs. AcuSport, a distributor of shooting and hunting products, plans to add 80 workers to its existing staff of 228 in the Bellefontaine area. Vinyl fencing company USA Vinyl said it will add 25 workers to its existing staff of 24. The company, currently, based in Hilliard, plans to move to Groveport as part of its expansion project.